I get very depressed in summer.I do not like the hot weather. Also, my sons go away on week-ends and hate being alone in the house. I always make plans with friends but the house is so quiet and lonely. I don't have friends I can call at 10 or 11 PM. I have thought about calling a depresion hotline but I am afraid they will think I am suidical which is absolutely not true. Does any one else have this problem with lonliness?

If you have any suggestions I would greatly apprediate it. I do read and have the TV on but it is not the same as being able to talk to someone. Also, when I wirte to this forum I hardly ever get any reponses. What am I doing wrong? l would realy like to hear from anyone so I feel connected to the real world. Many thanks.

AuroraI am very sorry that you are going through this.I too get more depressed at certain times of the year,and wish I could just zap my brain to make it go away..not possible I know.I miss my kids they are ages 17 and 20,and live with their dad 2 hrs away. They come see me and I go see them but it is so hard to see them have their own lives.We talk daily,but that is not enough... I have had to force myself out of the house,doing something like shopping or a nice long walk.I would not worry about calling the hot line,they know the signs of whether or not a person is in major trouble or deeply depressed.

Have you been to the doctor? I wonder if they could give you something that you can take during this time of year? And then I would consider counseling...just someone that you can talk too and hear their advice.Also,post your heart out on here..I promise you will get responses..I will watch for your posts.

Stay strong!

ShyMod- Depression

Chronic Depression, Panic Attacks,Anxiety Attacks,AnorexiaMeds I have taken throughout the years:Wellbutrin,Tranxene,Paxil,Prozac,Valium,Currently taking none.www.healingwell.com/donate

Thanks for your help Shysassy. It makes me feel better to know someone cares. I do take medication year round for depression - have taken it for several years and it does help. I also see a counselor and she is very helpful. It is the times I am alone that I have so much trouble getting through. I always have some interesting books to read. It is just getting around the lonliness and quiet at night that I find so hard. I may try calling a hotline the next week-end I am alone. I am still hopeful for more replys to my posts! Some posts get so many replies - hope many out there will talk to me. Thanks!

Do you or have you ever thought about a pet? Animals are supposed to be very calming and helpful, but your personality has to be predispositioned to them. Otherwise they just become another chore. Just a thought.

slowlygoingcrazy

It would be easier to tell people I have cancer than it is to tell them I am severely depressed.....

Thanks for your reply. I do have two poodles and they are good company but the only problem is they can't have a conversation with me. I think I just need to find more activities to do. I am volunteering at my local Senior center which is a very active group but don't know too many people yet and everyone is so much older than me - although they are a group of really nice people. I chose the center because it is so close to me and is easy to get to as I suffer from panic attacks. I think staying involved will help.

I know what you mean about that. There are days I just feel like I need to talk more than anything else, and there's nobody there. I don't have pets - not predispositioned to them! So I sometimes find the house very lonely. So I understand. I think it's great to get involved. Seniors can be very interesting people. They can have some great stories to tell. And can be a real inspiration too. So keep going. You're doing all you can do. It's not possible to have someone around 24/7 unfortunately!!! And it's finding ways to deal with the "quiet" times. You're working on it and that's all that counts.

slowlygoingcrazy

It would be easier to tell people I have cancer than it is to tell them I am severely depressed.....

Hi Aurora, I have panic attacks too with depression & anxiety. about 7 months ago I joined our local healthplex which is associated with one of our community hospitals (with my mother's pushing as I have a serious heart condition). It is a gym that caters to mostly middle age to older people and though I am 33 yrs old I like not having to exercise around a bunch of half dressed people like you would normally at another gym.

But anyway, it was hard when I first started to go because at certian times they would be busier then others, you know? But before long I started to talk to people who were on the machines next to me and now have several "work-out buddies" and look forward to going. There isnt any panic when I am there because I have become comfortable with it. And also exercise is wonderful for anxiety and depression. Just and idea if your interested...

I totally know about the urge to talk to someone, and it's usually late evening into the wee hours of the morning. I've got unlimited minutes on my cell phone, so if anybody wants to share phone numbers, feel free to email me and we can exchange phone numbers.

I have three cats and they talk to me all the time, but its basically feed me, pet me, or give me treats. Not very stimulating if you know what I mean. Anyway, the offer is open to anyone.

I was interested to see that you have been on Klonopin and Buspar. I was prescribed both at different times. Neither worked for me. The Buspar did nothing - I guess I didn't stay on long enough to help but I didn't like it. I tried Klonopin for a while and at times I though it was working - a very small dose - .5 mg once a day. There were also times when it made my anxiety worse and I felt shaky inside. Also, when I first started taking it I got very sleepy. I am now on Ativan and that really works. I can feel it start to work and feel the anxiety go away. I am also on Remeron for depression. My Dr. wants to get me off the Arivan eventually and lower the dose of Remeron which is supposed to control anxiety. I take .5 mg Ativan in the AM and .5 MG in the PM. What is it about Drs. not wanting to use the benzos?I guess they think it is too addictive but I think I am on a low enough dose and if it helps I don't see the harm. Anyway, I saw your post and wanted to reply. If you have any suggestions please write again. Thanks!

I take high doses of my meds. My system is really resistant to medication, and because of my gastric bypass, absorbsion is an issue. My Klonopin dose is 4mg am/4mg pm. My Buspar dosage is 15mg am/15mg pm. I've been on these kind of meds for probably eight years. I think I've tried just about everything, but never have really found the right combination of meds that actually make me feel better.

My biggest problem is that I am very resistant to pain meds, as several have little or no affect on me, like Demoral and Morphine. Heck, even the dentist has to use some kind of "super" novacaine, and usually has to numb me up four times before he can start working on me. It usually takes at least an hours before he can actually do anything to my teeth.

I still have anxiety frequently, for no apparent reason, and the occasional panic attack out of the blue. My panic attacks hit on some weird delay system, and they occur at totally stupid times. For instance, I'll get a panic attack going up the stairs. Can't go up, can't go down. I'll just sit there feeling really stupid, but not able to do anything about it. After a few minutes, it goes away and I'm back to normal. There are activities that I know will set off major anxiety or give me an outright panic attack. The worst thing for me is trying to pick out a picture frame if there are too many options. Having to take a shower does it. Going into a store without knowing specific items I need to get. Just stupid stuff.

I also take Wellbutrin 300mg and Lexapro 15mg per day for depression, and 200mg of Trazadone at bedtime to sleep.

Even with taking all this stuff, I still feel like I'm in a hole most of the time. I always feel stressed out, even if I don't have anything I have to do. The list of stuff I need to do is so long, I don't know where to start. I usually just end up on my computer or watching TV or DVDs.